Absorbent article with a lotioned topsheet

Abstract

An absorbent article having a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction and a transversal axis extending in a transversal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The absorbent article comprises a fluid-permeable topsheet, a lotion on the topsheet having a lotion pattern covering a lotion pattern area, a fluid-impermeable backsheet, and an absorbent core between the topsheet and the backsheet. The core wrap defines a core footprint in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction and transversal direction. The ratio of the lotion pattern area relative to the area of the footprint of the absorbent core ranges from 5% to 25%.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An absorbent article having a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction and a transversal axis extending in a transversal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein the absorbent article comprises:
 a fluid-permeable topsheet on the wearer-facing side of the article; 
 a lotion on the topsheet having a lotion pattern covering a lotion pattern area; 
 a fluid-impermeable backsheet on the garment-facing side of the article; 
 an absorbent core between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the absorbent core comprises an absorbent material in a core wrap, the core wrap defining a footprint in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction and the transversal direction; 
 an intermediate layer between the topsheet and the absorbent core, the intermediate layer comprising at least one longitudinally-extending channel, wherein the topsheet is depressed in the channel such that an interior surface defining the channel is abutted and such that an underlying absorbent core surface is abutted so that the wearer-facing side of the article has at least one depression corresponding to the at least one underlying channel; 
 wherein the ratio of the lotion pattern area relative to the area of the footprint of the absorbent core ranges from 5% to 25%. 
 
     
     
       2. An absorbent article according to  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the lotion pattern area relative to the area of the footprint of the absorbent core ranges from 10% to 20%. 
     
     
       3. An absorbent article according to  claim 1 , wherein the lotion pattern comprises from 2 to 10 stripes of lotion and wherein the stripes are oriented parallel the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
       4. An absorbent article according to  claim 3 , wherein at least some of the stripes have a width of from 1 mm to 20 mm. 
     
     
       5. An absorbent article according to  claim 1 , wherein the lotion pattern does not extend beyond the footprint of the absorbent core. 
     
     
       6. An absorbent article according to  claim 1 , wherein the channel(s) of the intermediate layer are substantially free of intermediate layer material. 
     
     
       7. An absorbent article according to  claim 1 , wherein the topsheet is bonded directly or indirectly to the absorbent core through the channel(s) in the intermediate layer. 
     
     
       8. An absorbent article according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer is a fibrous layer which has an average basis weight of at least 50 g/m 2 , wherein the average basis weight is calculated by dividing the weight amount of the fibers by the area of the intermediate layer where the fibers are present, excluding the areas of the channel(s) in the intermediate layer. 
     
     
       9. An absorbent article according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises a pair of longitudinally-extending channels disposed symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       10. An absorbent article according to  claim 9 , wherein the distance between the first and the second longitudinally-extending channels is of at least 10 mm as measured along the transversal axis. 
     
     
       11. An absorbent article according to  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent core comprises the core wrap having a top side and a bottom side, wherein the absorbent material is between the top side and bottom side of the core wrap, and wherein the absorbent core further comprises a pair of longitudinally-extending channel-forming areas disposed symmetrically relative to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       12. An absorbent article according to  claim 11 , wherein the channel-forming areas of the absorbent core are substantially free of absorbent material, and the top side of the core wrap is attached to the bottom side of the core wrap through the channel-forming areas. 
     
     
       13. An absorbent article according to  claim 11 , wherein at least the pair of channel-forming areas of the absorbent core are at least partially superposed in the vertical direction with a first channel and a second channel of the intermediate layer. 
     
     
       14. An absorbent article according to  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent material of the absorbent core is free of cellulose fibers. 
     
     
       15. An absorbent article according to  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent article has a caliper of from 1.5 mm to 6.0 mm at the intersection of the longitudinal axis and transversal axis measured at a pressure of 0.30 psi. 
     
     
       16. A package comprising a plurality of absorbent articles according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       17. An absorbent article having a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction and a transversal axis extending in a transversal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein the absorbent article comprises:
 a fluid-permeable topsheet on the wearer-facing side of the article; 
 a lotion on the topsheet having a lotion pattern covering a lotion pattern area; 
 a fluid-impermeable backsheet on the garment-facing side of the article; 
 an absorbent core between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the absorbent core comprises an absorbent material in a core wrap, the core wrap defining a footprint in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction and transversal direction; 
 wherein the lotion pattern area overlays the area of the footprint of the core wrap, and wherein the Lateral Compression Force of the article is less than 3.0 N. 
 
     
     
       18. An absorbent article having a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction and a transversal axis extending in a transversal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, wherein the absorbent article comprises:
 a fluid-permeable topsheet on the wearer-facing side of the article; 
 a lotion on the topsheet having a lotion pattern covering a lotion pattern area; 
 a fluid-impermeable backsheet on the garment-facing side of the article; 
 an absorbent core between the topsheet and the backsheet, wherein the absorbent core comprises an absorbent material in a core wrap, the core wrap defining a footprint in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction and transversal direction; 
 wherein the ratio of the lotion pattern area relative to the area of the footprint of the absorbent core ranges from 5% to 25%, and wherein the Lateral Compression Force of the article is less than 3.0 N. 
 
     
     
       19. An absorbent article according to  claim 18 , wherein the Lateral Compression Force of the article ranges from 0.1 N to 2.5 N. 
     
     
       20. A package comprising a plurality of absorbent articles according to  claim 18 .